Friday, November 05, 2010

We've been trying to get the kids in to have all their checkups and stuff while we're on Medicaid, since they all need things like dental work.

We were lucky to find not one but TWO fantastic children's dentists who take medicaid. We just have to drive half an hour to get to them.

Today I set out to get the kids eye appointments, figuring everyone must take medicaid for that, right? I mean, getting an eye exam only costs $45 at some place.

Turns out NOBODY in Longmont takes medicaid. What's up with that? They should make it against the law to NOT take medicaid--then the financial "hit" to the doctors would be fairly evenly distributed and everyone could get care (kids anyway; adults can't get on medicaid anyway).

To get a doctor who takes medicaid here in town, you have to go to the welfare clinic, which gives terrible care and makes you wait forever. Used to be you had to call the day of at 6:00 am, wait on the phone for an hour, and then maybe be able to schedule an appointment that same day. It was horrible. All for mediocre care, doctors who were mean to parents, and PAs who had bad info (like "boys never get scoliosis." Huh? Tim and his GrandPA have scoliosis!). So we go to a family doctor in Boulder (since we couldn't find any pediatricians that would take all 6 kids).

Our fantastic dentists have an office in Longmont, but no pediatric dentist there, so we have to go to either Louisville (25 minutes directly South) or Boulder (30 minutes Southwest).

Today was find an eye doctor day. I called all over town and got the answer, "You have to go down to Denver" over and over. There is a single ophthamologist who takes medicaid in Boulder, apparently, and one in Berthoud (35 minutes North of here). But for a basic optometrist who also provides glasses? Nope. Nothing like that. Not even for kids. So we're having to drive to Denver for that. Sheesh. All so my kids can see.

So now I'm dreading the next step: finding an allergist who takes medicaid. And then a neuropsychologist. Yikes. That one I think I WILL have to go to Denver for.